West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-09-16
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
A Letter to Young Man Giving His
Views on Religion, Philosophy, Lam
guage and Travel, Published for
the First Time.

ago while in Paris as Minister
from this country, and addressed
to Peter Carr, OF Newport, whose
descendants are still residents OF
this island, has never before appear
ell in print. The letter is the prop
erty of George w. Carr, who loaned
it to the Newport Mercury for pub
licatiOn:
"PARIS, Aug. l0.-Dear Peter: l
have received your two letters of
December 80 and April Is, and am
happy to find by them, as well as by
letters from Mr.. Wythe, that you
have been 50 fortunate as to attract
his notice and good will 1 am sure
you will find this to be one Of the
most fortunate accidents of your
life, as | have been sensible it was
Of mine. l inelose you sketch of
the sciences to which l wish you to
apply in such order as Mr.. Wythe
shall advise. / mention also the
books in them worth your reading,
which submit to his correction
many of them are among your faith
er's books, which YOU should have
brought with YOU. As | do not lie
collect those of them not in his libra
~, YOU must write to me for them,
making out u catalogue of such as
YOU think YOU shall have occasion
for in eighteen months from the
date of your letter and consulting
Mr.. Wythe on the subject. TO this
sketch | will add q few particular
observations:
"First-Italian. fear that the
learning OF this language will con
found your French and Spanish.
Being all of them degenerate dialects
of the Latin, they are apt to mix in
conversation. | have never seen 4
person speaking the three languages
who did not mix them. 1t is de
lightful language, but late events
have rendered the Spanish more use
full; lay it aside to prosecute that.
"SecOnd-Spanisb. Bestow great
attention on this and endeavor to
acquire an accurate knowledge OF it,.
Our future connections with Spain
ana Spanish AnSrica will render
that language a valuable acquisition.
The ancient history of 4 great part
Of America, too, is written in that
language. l send you dictionary.
"Third-Moral philosophy. l
think it lost time TO attend lectures
of this branch. He who made us
would have been pitiful bungler if
he had made the rule of our moral
conduct u matter of science. For
one man of science, there are thou
sands who are not What would
have become Of them? Man was des-
tined for society. His morality,
therefore, was to be formed to this
object. He was endowed with the
sense of right and wrong merely rel
ative TO this sense. This sense is
as much 4 part of his nature as the
sense of hearing. seeing, feeling; it
is the true foundation Of morality,
and not the gonfalon, truth, etc, as
fanciful writers have imagined. The
moral sense of conscience is as much
part of man Us his arm or leg. 1t
is given to all human beings in 4
stronger or weaker degree, as force
of members is given in greater or
less degree 1t may be strengthened
by exercise, rs may any particular
limb of the body. This science is
submitted in some degree to the
guidance of reason, but it is Il small
stock which is required for this, even
a less one than what we call common
sense. State 4 moral case to q plOw-
man and 4 professor. The former
will decide it as well, and often bet
ter, because he has not been led
aStray by artificial rules. In this
branch, therefore, read books, be-
cause they will encourage as well us
direct your feelings. The writings
of Sterne, particularly, form the best
course of morality that ever was
written. Besides these, read the
books mentioned in the indorsed
paper, and, above all things, lose no
occasion Of exercising your dispoSi
tion to be grateful, to be generous, to
be charitable, to be true, just, firm,
orderly, courageous, etc. Consider
every act Of this kind, as an act
which will strengthen your moral
faculties and increase your worth.
"Fourth-Religion. Your reason
is now mature enough to examine
this object. In the first place, di-
vest Yourself of all bias in favor of
novelty or singularity OF opinion, in
dulge them in any other subject
rather than that OF religion. 1t is
too important, and the consequences
of error may he too serious. On the
other hand, shake off all tear and
servile preiudices.under which weak
minds are servilely crOuched. Fix
reason firm in her seat and call to
her tribunal every fact, every opin
n-..... Ill hn1lnnon fhn